Leah Beckmann

On Wednesday night, the day after the president's re-election, Barack Obama paid a surprise visit to Chicago campaign headquarters. In the video, Obama is informal, uninhibited, and genuine as he thanks the staff and volunteers for their dedication and hard work. "It's not that you guys actually remind me of myself," he tells the group, "it's the fact that you are so much better than I was."

And then, in awe of the effort, the president gets choked up. "I'm really proud of all of you," he says, like the best dad in the whole world.